A dishonest son broke his mother’s heart when her stole a diamond ring given to her by his late father.

The heartbroken widow spent the last six months of her life searching for the last gift given to her by her late husband before his death, not knowing one of their own children had snatched it from her and pawned it, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Jason Stephens, 45, of Old Hereford Road, Abergavenny was given a suspended prison sentence for theft and told he had committed a staggering betrayal of his mother’s memory which has torn his family apart.

Prosecutor Julian Greenwood said the £4,000 eight carat gold ring with five diamonds had been the last gift from Betty Stephens’ husband John.

“He had bought it on a cruise liner they took to the USA in 2005 and presented it to her,” Mr Greenwood told a judge.

“When he died in 2007, it became of great sentimental value and she decided it should go to her grandaughter and made a will.”

But in the autumn of 2012, Mrs Stephens discovered the treasured ring had disappeared from her home at Herald Road, Abergevanny and was said to have “turned things upside down” looking for it.

His two brothers said they could not understand how the defendant could then join in the family’s search while knowing all the time it was sitting in a pawn shop.

“Our mother looked for it daily”, son Derek wrote in a statement.

“It was irreplaceable – the last thing our father bought for her.

“Jason saw her most days, he was aware of the anguish”.

Another brother Mark Stephens said: “How could he take the last gift. How could he see how upset and troubled our mother was and not return it.

“She was an honest, hard working woman and this broke her heart.”

The court was told that just before she died, Mrs Stephens claimed the insurance on the missing ring to go on another cruise to see if she would find a replacement.

It was because of that claim and to “clear her name” that the two brothers decided to call in police when they discovered the truth.

They were winding up their mother’s estate following her death in May 2013 when a letter arrived from the pawn shop, asking whether it was going to be collected, Mr Greenwood said.

But Stephens a carpenter with two employees said to rely on him for a living, still didn’t confess.

“Instead, he made things worse, when tackled, by saying his mother had given it to him because he had financial troubles and told him not to tell his brothers.”

Eventually he admitted theft and fraud and was said by his barrister Meirion Davies to be hopeful of a reconciliation with his family but “realistic enough to know it might never happen”.

“It was your mother’s wish it should go to her granddaughter. This was a staggering betrayal of her memory”.

Stephens, said by the family to be due to inherit “substantial” sums of money from his mother’s estate, was ordered to pay £3,720 to the insurance company and £1,200 prosecution costs. He was also ordered to do 240 hours unpaid community.

Speaking after the court case the family described the hearing as ‘bittersweet’. The diamond ring remains with the pawnbroker while they wait for confirmation of the result of the court case.

John and Betty managed Classic Fish Bar in Bryn Mawr together and were well known in the town. A family member said: “They were married for 50 years through thick and thin.

“John was a carpenter and Betty worked in the local factory. They got together and they started the fish and chip shop in the local town and worked together for 40 years until they retired. They had a really good working relationship and a very strong marriage.

“John bought the ring in the June and he passed away just before Christmas. He was taken ill and within two weeks he passed away. That’s why it meant so much to her.

“She’d wear that ring all the time. It was by her bedside where she had a little pot for her rings. That’s why she was adamant that she hadn’t lost it.

The family said the theft of the ring had been extremely distressing. “We couldn’t move on until this matter was laid to rest. This whole situation has put the grieving process of losing her on hold.”

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